Door latch



' Sept. 16, 1947. A. cLAuD-MANTLE noon LATQH Filed June 5, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 1111111111filial/111111111111111',n

' Sept. 16, 1,947| A. cLAub-MANTLE DOOR LATCH Filedl June v5, 1944 K 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented sept. 16,1941

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR LATCH Arthur Claud-Mantle, Trumbull,Conn., assignor to The Basslck Company, Bridgeport, Conn., 'acorporation of Connecticut Application June 5, 1944, Serial No. 538,815

3 Claims.

suited for use on the doors of sedans and other passenger CRIS.

latch structure of the kind in which manipulation of the latch from theouter side of the door is eiected through a swinging operating handle orlever switch which, when the door is closed, is received within thelines of the door so that it does not have a projecting position, and istherefore safer and more sightly.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a door latch of thekind just mentioned, in

which the swinging lever or handle has an im' proved mounting and hassimple and effective connections to the latch bolt whereby the lattercan be retracted by an outward pull on the lever or handle.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and nally pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

j Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of an automobile door equipped witha door latch embodying my improvements, the latchbolt beingV in theprotracted position which it assumes when the door is in the closedposition, the casing of the door and the strike plate being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a, section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, certainl parts being brokenaway;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3A is a section on line SIL-3^ of Fig- 3;

Fig. 4 is. a vertical section looking from the rear of the escutcheon orcup plate in which the operating handle is received;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and l are details of the transverse spindle that retracts thelatch; and

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of the operating handle.

In the drawings, there is shown a portion of an automobile door to whichthe door latch is applied, the frame of the door and the strike platebeing omitted. In the form selected for i1- lustration the door latchproper is oi' the type in which a sliding latch bolt is normallyprojected by a suitable spring, and the latch structure in general maybe of the type shown in my application, Serial No. 536,235, filed May19, 1944. The

section,l on

Another object is to furnish an improved door subject matter of thepresent invention is particularly concerned with the provisions foroperating the latch bolt from the outer side of the door by means of ahorizontally swinging handle in the form of a lever which, when the dooris in the closed position, is within the lines of the door, orsubstantially so, in order that it may not project from the door tocatch on external objects. y'Ihe operating handle is mounted upon 10 \anescutcheon or plate generally of cup shape,

, bolt.

' face plate I3 of the latch case.

across which a portion of the handle extends in such a manner that itcan be readily grasped and manipulated by the hand of a person desirousof opening the door. y This escutcheon plate\has provisions whereby thehandle is pivoted to it, the pivot means being well concealed andprotected, and from the pivoted end of the handle \connecti0ns go to atransverse spindle arranged\between said escutcheon and the case orframe of the bolt mechanism or latch proper, o that th\bolt is properlyactuated for retracxon.

In the drawings, the door is shown at A, the

latch case or frame at B, the latch bolt at C, the

Referring now to the "details, the door A is constructed of metal andhas a metal plate I0 at the inner side of the doorQa metal plate II atthe outer side," and a transverse plate I2 at the Afree edge of the doorsuitably connected to the The bolt C is illustrated as an ordinarysliding bolt having a head I4 connected'to a shank I5, th`e shank I5being under the control of a bolt-projecting spring I6. The provisionsfor controlling the latch bolt from the inner side of the door form nopart of the present invention, and theyare therefore not illustrated.

The cup-shaped escutcheon D isof approximately rectangular shape and isreceived within an opening Il cut within the .plate II, the escutcheonplate having a rim portion I8 which extends over the edges of thisopening .in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, and the rim portion of theplate preferably being chamfered, as shown. This plate is providedwith adepressed portion I9, said depressed portion being relatively shallowbut of a size suiiicient to permit a persons hand to be introduced forgrasping 3 the handle E. Preferably the marginal portion of the plate iswider at the 1left-hand side (Figs. 1 and 2), which is the side towardthe free edge of the door, for it is at this side of the plate that thehandle E is pivoted, the pivoting provisions including an uprightspindle 20 behind the marginal portion of the plate, the handle havingan end portion 2| in embracing relation to the spindle 20. The pivotedportion of the handle, when the door is in the closed position, lieswithin' a cut-out portion or keri 22 which is provided partly in the cupportion of the escutcheon plate and partly in the rim portion, as shownin Fig. 2. At its other end, that is to say its free end, the handle hasa portion received within a depressed part 23 in the rim portion of theescutcheon, the depressed portion being in communication with the cupportion, as appears from Fig. 2. It is also preferred to provide thehandle E with a curved prong 24 disposed near cup portion in the mannershown in Fig. 2, said` f prong enabling the operator to obtain a bettergrip upon the handle.

The escutcheon plate D may be fastened to the door plate Il in anysuitable manner, as by means of threaded attaching shanks 25 projectinginwardly from the escutcheon plate and engaged by nuts 26.

Adjacent its pivoted end the handle preferably lies substantially flushwith the escutcheon plate when the door is in the closed position, asshown in Fig. 3. The surface of the plate at the outer side of the d oormay have a slight bow or camber therein, both transversely, as shown inFig. 2, and longitudinally, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 2,and the handle is preferably bowed to some degree in a lengthwisedirection so as to conform to the lengthwise bowing of the plate.

The spindle 20 above mentioned is mounted in suitable bearings providedupon the escutcheon plate, and in Fig. 3 are shown a lower bearing 21andan upper bearing 29, these being formed in portion 30 engagingbearing 28. In the adjacent part of the handle the latter is providedwith an inwardly projecting horizontal web 3l having an opening in whichpart 29 is engaged, and similarly an upper horizontal web 32 of thehandle has an opening in which the part 30 is engaged. Be-

tween the parts 29 andA 30 the spindle 20 is cut away or reduced incross section to provide a portion 33 around which is disposed a spring34 in the form of a helix of spring wire.` This spring has an extremity35 projecting therefrom, which is engaged with a part of the handleindicated at 36, and at its opposite end the spring has an extremity 31which is engaged with the rear portion of the escutcheon plate. Thetendency of this spring,as will be apparent, is to maintain the handlein an inwardly swung position in which it is seated in the cup-shapedplate at the free extremity of the handle in the position previouslydescribed.

After the spring 34 has been placed in position around the reducedportion of the spindle 2li, it will also act to prevent verticaldisplacement of the spindle 20 by reason of the fact that the spring iseccentric to the spindle, as shown in Fig. 5.

Above the bearing 28 previously mentioned, the rear part of theescutcheon plate is provided with a bearing 38 in which is received theforward end portion 39 of the transverse spindle F. The rear end portionof this spindle F is squared, as shown. at 40, and projects into arollback or hub 4|, of any preferred kind, which is journaled in thelatch case B in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and adapted upon turning toretract the latch bolt. Intermediate of its ends the spindle F isprovided with an enlarged cylindrical portion 42 having a bearing in aplate 43. This plate 43 is attached to and carried by the escutcheon Dat the rear portion of the latter, and preferably the plate 43 is intheform of a bracket secured to the escutcheon D by means such as rivets44, the body of the plate 43 having a round opening so that it can actas a bearing for the spindle F.

For transmitting motion from the handle E to the spindle F, a connectionis provided in the nature of interengaging gear members, and lthestructure is preferably as shown in the drawings,

the upper web 32 of .the handle being provided with upwardly projectingbevel gear teeth 45 which are engaged with similar teeth 46 providedupon the spindle F in a region between the bearing plateor bracket 43and the bearing portion 39. arrangement the outward swinging of thehandle E from its seat in the escutcheon plate will cause the spindle Fto be rotated in a direction to retract the latch bolt.

It will be understood that the handle is swung outwardly from its recessagainst the action of the spring 34,- and that upon the handle beingreleased by the hand of the operator the handle will be restored to itsinitial position, the latch bolt being in the projecting position asusual.

It Will be seen that by the present invention an operating handle isprovided which, in the position corresponding to the closing position ofthe bolt, does not project from the door, but on the other hand liessubstantially within the lines of the door. 'Ihis provides a much saferstructure for use on automobiles. On the other hand, however, there isample availability of the handle in the closed or inner position forgrasping and manipulating. In other words, there is permitted a firmgrasp of the handle by the hand closed around the same and accommodatedin the clearance recess or cup in the escutcheon. In the closed positionof the door the handle bridges this recess from one end of it to theopposite end, the arrangement being such that the handle can be readilygrasped with a good firm grip and strongly pulled. The connections fromthe handle .to the bolt are very simple and inexpensive, ahd yet operatevery effectively and satisfactorily. The device as a whole can beproduced at relatively low cost. Moreover, the use of a handle andescutcheon plate such as herein described permits the latch to have astreamlined character and attractive appearance.

It, will be understood from the foregoing description that the inventionprovides among other things a portable unitadapted to be used with doorlatches, said unit comprising a, cupped escutcheon adapted forapplication to the outer metal plate of a door in such a manner that thecup of the plate extends within the lines of the door, said plate havingan operating handle pivoted thereto at one side of the cup and adaptedto extend across and bridge the cup, said handle having an operativegear connection with a transverse spindle carried by the plate at therear portion thereof and rotating in a bracket carried by the plate,said spindle being adapted to co- It win be understood that by thisoperate with a suitable latch-retracting hub or rollback. It will beseen from the foregoing that the rotary operating spindle carried by aheplate at the rear portion thereof is a part of the unit applied to theouter face of the door. To assemble this unit with reference to thelatch structure, it is merely necessary to enter the free end of thespindle in the rollback of the latch, and

ications and changes in the details are withinv the principles of theinvention and the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a door latch structure, a unit for operating a door latch from oneside of the door comprising a cupped escutcheon plate applicable to oneside of the door and having a shallow cup portion extending within thelines of the door, said plate having a rim for application to the doorsurface, a handle pivoted behind the rim at one side of the cup portionto swing horizontally, and adapted in one position to bridge the cupportion of the plate intermediate of the height of the plate and inanother position to be swung outwardly from the plate, a horizontaltransverse latch-operating spindle mounted from the plate at the rearportion ofthe latter, and means of connection including intergearedportions between the pivoted end portion of said handle and said spindlewhereby the spindle is turned as the handle is pulled outwardly from theescutcheon plate.

2. In an automobile kdoor latch, the .combination with a metal doorhaving outer l,and inner plates and a latch structure having a. slidinglatch bolt mounted upon the inner plate, of an escutcheon plate mountedon the outer plate and having'l a cup-like portion extended within thelines of the door adjacent the free edge of the door, a handle pivotedto said escutcheon plate Vat the rear of the latter and at that side ofsaid cup-like portionwhich is disposed toward the free edge of the door,said vhandle adapted to lie across said cup-like portion in bridgingrelation thereto so as lto be substantially flush with said escutcheonplate and to swing outwardly from the escutcheon plate, a springnormally holding said handle in its innermost position, and a rotaryspindle having geared engagement with said handle operable by saidhandle for retracting the latch bolt.

3. In an automobile door latch. the combination with a metal door havingouter and-inner plates and a latch structure having a sliding latch boltmounted upon the inner plate, of an escutcheon plate mounted on theouter plate and having a cup-like portion extended within the lines ofthe door adjacent the free edge of the door. a handle pivoted to lieacross said cup-like portion in bridging relation thereto and to swingoutwardly from the escutcheon plate, said handle being pivoted to theescutcheon plate at one side of said cuplike portion, and a rotaryspindle operable by said handle for retracting the latch bolt, thepivoted end portion of the handle being provided with bevel gear teethand the latch-actuating spindle being horizontally and transverselydisposed and provided with bevel gear teeth meshing with thefirst-mentioned gear teeth.

ARTHUR CLAUD-MAN'I'LE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Dall Nov. 12, 1940

